Box folding machine



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Oct. 25, 1949. F. A. SPINALE 2,486,074

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F. A. SPINALE BOX FOLDING MACHINE Oct. 25, 1949.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 5, 1947 As 18 l6.

E IE l6" Patented Oct. 25, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to box folding machines, and pertains more particularly to automatic machines for upfolding the ends and sides, and infolding the locking flaps at the ends of collapsed r cartons prior to the packing or filling of the opened box with vegetables or other merchandise.

The new machine is designed expressly for manipulating tomato boxes of a type commonly supplied to the tomato packer by the box manufacturer in fiat or collapsed form as herein illustrated and described. It is thus necessary that the flattened cartons be opened for the reception of tomatoes by upfolding the ends and sides and locking the end flaps thereof, to hold the box in the form of a packing tray, at the packing plant. These operations have heretofore been performed by hand on the individual boxes, at a substantial expenditure of time and labor.

It is accordingly the principal purpose of the present invention to reduce the time and expense of such hand folding operations by providing automatic mechanism for continuously receiving and manipulating a succession of flattened tomato boxes, or the like, and delivering the opened and locked boxes in condition for immediate packing. It will be understood, however, that the boxes so manipulated by the machine may be used, if desired, for packing various types of food products or other merchandise, the tray-like box and its contents being preferably covered with cellophane, or other wrapping material to provide a closed, sanitary container for shipment, display and sale.

A recommended embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away and with certain elements omitted, of a machine for folding a flattened tomato box to open the box for packing;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine, partly broken away, and partly in section;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing a feeding hopper with a stack of flattened cartons therein;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, showing one of the boxes at one stage of the folding operation;

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional views of a part of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 4, respectively, illustrating antecedent and subsequent positions of the end-folding devices;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a conventional, flattened tomato box of the character passed through the machine, the flaps at one end of the box being folded over flatwise, as the box is delivered to the Cir packer, and the flaps at the opposite end being unfolded to illustrate the construction thereof;

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the flattened box;

Fig. 9 is a side view of the box with the ends thereof partially upfolded; and

Fig. 10 is a top perspective view of the opened and locked box in condition for packing, a portion of the box-side being broken away.

The conventional tomato box for which this machine is designed, is made of cardboard and is folded flat by the box manufacturer for supply to the tomato packer, with the end members folded over flatwise as shown at the left of Figs. 7 and 8.

t has a rectangular bottom II with integral projecting end members [2 defined by scored fold lines I3; integral sides M folded onto the bottom I I on weakened fold lines, and provided with foldable webs at the opposite ends thereof; and inner end reinforcements l 6 integrally connected at fold lines to the straight sides of the respective members [2, and to the slanting sides of the respective webs l5, and terminating in looking flaps or tabs l1 defined by weakened fold lines H! which may include slits l9. Locking slits are provided :7 in the respective end folds l3 of the box bottom;

and the end members l2 have foldable flaps 2 I.

When the collapsed box is opened by folding up its ends and sides (Fig. 9) and folding its locking tabs inwardly against the raised ends, the tips of the tabs are inserted in the slots 20 to lock the box in open position (Fig. 10) These operations have been, as aforesaid, performed by hand by grasping the ends of the flattened box and raising them at right angles to the bottom. This action also elevates the box sides, and the locking tabs are flnally engaged in the slots 20 by the fingers of the operator.

In accordance with this invention, these operations are performed by the machine shown in Figs. 1 to 6, which comprises an endless, flexible conveyor having a pair of parallel chains 3! carried by sprockets 32 mounted on shafts 33 journaled in standards 34, one of the shafts being driven by gearing or belting (not shown) suitably applied, for example, to the projecting shaft end 35 (Fig. 1).

The revolving chains carry a series of spaced transverse plates or carriers 36 respectively, having U-shaped supports 31 riveted or bolted to their under sides and attached by pins 38 to the respective chains. The plate supports 31 bear upon guide bars 39 bolted or otherwise attached to brackets 40 suitably fastened to cross bars M which are mounted on struts 42 secured to the top of the standards 34 at opposite ends of the machine.

A hopper 43 shaped to receive a stack of the flattened boxes of Figs. 7-10 with the flap pieces I! and 2| folded over, as aforesaid, is mounted at the feeding end of the machine, for example by braces 44 attached to the cross bar 4| at said end. The bottommost box rests upon a centrally disposed feeding table 45 extending forwardly as an extension of the back of the hopper, or suitably connected to the back of the hopper, so that said bottom box of the stack may he slid forwardly off the feeding table and onto one of the carrier plates 36 by abutments engaging its rearward edge near the ends of the box, as hereinafter described.

Each of the transverse plates 36 has a boxend folding arm 45 hinged at 41 to the opposite ends thereof; and each of said arms has a box catching lug or abutment 48 at its rearward edge for engaging the rearward 'edge of a box resting on the feed plate 45 of the hopper 43, whereby one box is removed and deposited on a carrier -36, as each carrier passes under the hopper, on the endless conveyor. The lugs 48 also hold the boxes against rearward or angular displacement, as they are conveyed along the machine by the respective carriers.

Each of the pivoted arms -46 carries a flapper plate 49 hinged thereto at 50. Each flapper has a normally upstanding tongue portion and a :1

normally depending tail portion 52, and the tongue portion is normally held at right angles to the arm 46 (Fig. 3) by a spring 53 attached to the tail portion 52 and to the bottom of arm 46. The flattened box deposited on plate 36 from the hopper 43 is disposed between the flapper pivots 55 with the weakened fold lines 53 of the box ends located approximately at the arm hinges 41 (Fig. 5).

As the carriers 56 are conveyed over the sprockets at the box-feeding end of the machine and pick up the bottom-most box of the stack, the folding arms successively contact and are slidingly guided by a pair of rails -54 disposed along opposite sides of the machine and mounted on posts 55 fastened upright on the respective cross bars 4|. The rails 54 are inclined upwardly and converge laterally toward the discharge end of the machine (Figs. 1 and 2). Hence, as the carriers 35 with the flattened boxes thereon travel toward the discharge end (at the left of Figs. 1 and 2) the arms 46 are raised upwardly by the rails until they assume a vertical position and the box ends are correspondingly upfolded to vertical positions in contact with said arms. The elevation of the box ends 12 also raises the sides It thereof, by action on the web portions l5 (Fig. 4).

Adjacent the discharge end of the machine, the rails 54 are straightened to parallel relation and are provided with upright plates 56 which have inclined upper edges 51. These edges engage the tail pieces 52 of the flapper plates hinged to the upright arms 45, thereby swinging the tongue portions 5! of said plates downwardly as the tail pieces slide upwardly along the edges of the guide plates 56, and infolding the box flaps 2i and locking tab l1 (Figs. 4 and 6). In the ultimate position of the flapper tongue 5! (Fig. 6), the tip of the locking tab H enters and is engaged in the box slit '20, as best indicated in Fig. 10.

The carriers 36 then pass beyond the ends 'of the rails 54 and guide plates 56, so that the folding arms and flapper plates swing outwardly by gravity action; and the opened boxes may be dropped into a receptacle or onto a traveling belt (not shown), as indicated at the extreme left of Fig. 1, the flaps 2| of the box ends assumin the position of Fig. 10. The box is then ready to be packed with tomatoes, and the packed container may be wrapped in transparent paper or sheeting.

A box folding machine of the type above described may be constructed in any desired size and equipped with any feasible number of box carriers, suitably spaced in parallel relation across the endless conveyor mechanism, so that a number of the flattened boxes may be picked up by successive carriers and progressively manipulated by the automatic folding devices,

as the successive boxes are carried along the machine to be deposited from the discharge end thereof in open and locked position for immediate packing.

, A machine designed and operating as herein illustrated and explained fully satisfies the purposes of this invention, but it-is evident that the structural elements 'of the apparatus may be refined and modified within Wide limits without departing from the essence of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A machine for folding to open position flattened boxes of the character described, comprising an endless conveyor having a series of transverse, box-receiving carriers connected thereto in spaced parallel relation, arms hinged to the ends of the respective carriers for up folding the respective ends of the flat box, and flappers hinged to the outer ends of the respective arms for infolding a flap on the respective box ends, rails extending along the sides of the machine and engageable by said arms for gradually lifting the arms from substantially horizontal to substantial vertical position, as said carriers are conveyed longitudinally of the machine, and means near the discharge end of the machine and engageable by said flappers for depressing the inner ends of said flappers to infold said flaps.

2. A machine for folding to open position flattened boxes of the character described, comprising an endless conveyor having a series of transverse, box-receiving carriers connected thereto in spaced parallel relation, arms hinged to the ends of the respective carriers for upfolding the respective ends of the flat box, and flapper's hinged to the outer ends of the respective arms for infolding a flap on the respective box ends, rails extending along the sides of the machine and engageable by said arms, said rails being inclined upwardly and inwardly toward the discharge end of the machine for gradually lifting thearms from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical position, as said carriers are conveyed longitudinally of the machine, and means near the discharge end of the machine and engageable by said flappers for depressing the inner ends of said flappers to infold said flaps.

3. A machine for folding to open position flattened boxes of the character described, comprising an endless conveyor having a series of transverse, box-receiving carriers connected thereto in spaced parallel relation, arms hinged to the ends of the respective carriers for upfolding the respective ends of the fiat box, and flappers hinged to the outer ends of the respective arms for 'infolding a flap on the respective box ends, springs interconnecting said flappers to the respective arms for normally holding said inner ends of the flappers substantially at right angles to said arms, rails extending along the sides of the machine and engageable by said arms for gradually lifting the arms from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical position, as said carriers are conveyed longitudinally of the machine, and means near the discharge end of the machine and engageable by said flappers for depressing the inner ends of said fiappers to infold said flaps.

4. A machine for folding to open position fiattened boxes of the character described, comprising an endless conveyor having a series of transverse, box-receiving carrier plates connected thereto in spaced parallel relation, arms hinged to the ends of the respective plates for upfolding the respective ends of the flat box, and flappers hinged to the outer ends of the respective arms ,for infolding a flap on the respective box ends,

rails extending along the sides of the machine and engageable by said arms for gradually lifting the arms from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical position, as said carrier plates are conveyed longitudinally of the machine, and means near the discharge end of the machine and engageable by said fiappers for depressing the inner ends of said flappers to infold said flaps, said means consisting of guide members associated with the respective rails and extending above them, the upper edges of said members being inclined upwardly toward the discharge end of the machine.

5. A machine for folding to open position flattened boxes of the character described, comprising an endless conveyor having a series of transverse, box-receiving carrier plates connected thereto in spaced parallel relation, arms hinged to the ends of the respective plates for upfolding the respective ends of the flat box, and fiappers hinged to the outer ends of the respective arms for infolding a locking tab on the respective box ends, springs interconnecting said fiappers to the respective arms for normally holding said inner ends of the fiappers substantially at right angles to said arms, rails extending along the sides of the machine and engageable by said arms, said rails being inclined upwardly and inwardly toward the discharge end of the machine for gradually lifting the arms from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical position, as said carrier plates are conveyed longitudinally of the machine, and means near the discharge end of the machine and engageable by said fiappers for depressing the inner ends of said flappers to infold and lock said tab.

6. A machine for folding to open position fiattened boxes of the character described, comprising an endless conveyor having a series of transverse, box-receiving carrier plates connected thereto in spaced parallel relation, arms hinged to the ends of the respective plates for upfolding the respective ends of the flat box, and flappers hinged to the outer ends of the respective arms for infolding a locking tab on the respective box ends, rails extending along the sides of the machine and engageable by said arms, said rails being inclined upwardly and inwardly toward the discharge end of the machine for gradually lifting the arms from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical position, as said carrier plates are conveyed longitudinally of the machine, and means near the discharge end of the machine and engageable by said flappers for depressing the inner ends of said flappers to infold said tab, said means comprising guide plates attached to the respective rails and extending above them, the upper edges of said guide plates being inclined upwardly toward the discharge end of the machine, and the respective flappers havin tail portions slidably engaging said inclined edges and tongue portions movable downwardly into the opened box and against the respective ends thereof when the hinged flappers are tilted by said slidable engagement of the tail portions on said edges, to press said tab into looking engagement with the box bottom.

FRANK A. SPINALE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,784,571 Bergstein Dec. 9, 1930 1,868,873 Bergstein July 26, 1932 

